Missed Connection
by a2agenesgirl
Summary: Alex and Gene are secretly battling their feelings for each other. And with Alex having other battles to fight, will it all become to much?
1. Green Eyed Monster

As they walked into Luigi's, Alex realised why Shaz had suggested she went straight upstairs to her flat. Standing at the bar was the man of her affections; DCI Gene Hunt. She had realised that her front of despising him was a psychological cover for being head-over-heels in love with him. She listened as he grunted at Luigi for another scotch and her heart sank as he added a glass of house rubbish for the woman standing next to him. She noticed that Shaz was staring sympathetically at her, and so Alex smiled and said, "It doesn't bother me. Really, Shaz."

With that, the two girls found a table within viewing distance of the Gov, and ordered 2 glasses of red wine. Alex could hear vaguely hear the voices of the CID team around her, but they were merely annoying background noise apprehending her eavesdropping to the table opposite. She could see from their body language that their date was not going well. He was sat with his back towards Alex, but could see that he was sporting his usual posture which emanated cockiness. Her face was blank with boredom, and her eyes were darting around the room, trying desperately to find a distraction. Alex couldn't help but smile, immediately feeling guilty for wishing unhappiness on them both. 'She could be a very nice person for all I know…' she began to rationalise, but she wasn't fooling anyone. She hated how jealous she was and how little she could do about hiding her true feelings.

The blonde rose from her seat and leant over the table to whisper something to Gene. To Alex's horror, the blonde looked directly at her and Gene turned around, uncharacteristically pink with what seemed like embarrassment. It quickly turned to anger. As the blonde grabbed her coat and headed for the door, Gene headed towards Alex. By now, the whole gang had realised his vacuous anger coming nearer and nearer and the whole bar turned to watch the imminent volcano-like eruption. To their collective surprise, he merely sat at the bar and ordered a scotch, only turning back to beckon Alex to the adjacent stool. Chris and Ray exchanged mischievous glances and sat back to watch the fireworks which, to their dismay, never occurred.

"Sit, Bolly, and let me explain something to you." He downed the scotch and gestured for Luigi to get him another.

"You don't have to justify anything to me, Gov," Alex said through gritted teeth. Neither of them made any attempt to make eye contact with the other.

"You're damn right I don't," Gene barked. "But I don't want you getting the wrong impression of that girl." He looked at Alex, silently telling her not to interrupt. "She's an informant, giving me some info on Barris. As I'm sure you'll understand, you staring at 'er didn't make 'er feel any more comfortable divulging something which endangers 'er pathetic excuse for a life."

"Oh, Gov, I'm sorry. I thought she was…" Alex paused, trying to think of a plausible excuse for her faux pas. "I was worried that you were…"

"Spit it out, Bolls."

"Oh, piss off then." With that, she went back to sitting with Ray, Chris and Shaz. She caught his eyes once more and, if she didn't know better from experience, she could have sworn that he smiled at her. Well, a smirk at most.

That settled it. It was obvious now that his bravado was not solely unfounded. His smirk showed that he now realised that he had good reason to have a severely inflated ego: he had realised that Alex had feelings for him. Originally, maybe, his jokes relating to their relationship at the beginning were exactly that – a joke. Or maybe it was meant to encourage her feelings… or unearth them… he had really thrown her and he knew it. It was exasperating that he now had the upper hand and he knew it. Alex now had to sit back and see how Gene played it. And he knew that too.

Alex, again, recoiled into her own little world, mulling over her possibilities and allowing everything around her turn to white noise. She just stared at him, longing to tell him that she knew that he knew what everyone else had known forever.


	2. Ghosts

The next morning in CID was a tense one. Gene Hunt had decided that his presence was not needed in the office and obviously had better things to do than try to nail Barris 'by the book'. It didn't surprise her, as she expected him just to rough up a few of Barris' connections and compromise the investigation in a way only he could. Most of the time his heart was in the right place, according to the man himself, but Alex was sick of being undermined by him and then being blamed for a missed collar. But, she could never stay very angry with him for very long. 

The office was buzzing with frustration in Hunt's absence. It meant that Alex was in charge by default which in turn meant that they spent the morning wrestling with red tape with the Gov's name all over it. It was a blessing in disguise really, as it gave them all a hand in making a collar more secure, even if no-one but Alex could see it.

Alex looked up from the incident report to find her head swimming. The room had dimmed and it seemed like a spotlight was above her, bringing on a sudden headache. She heard voices in the distance, all merging into a murmuring hum. She placed her head in her hands and closed her eyes, knowing that she just had to let it run its course, so-to-speak. The hum faded out signalling the end of the… experience. However, when she looked up she was met by PC 6620 in his usual state. As per usual, the left side of his face was severely wounded with blood congealing and turning almost black. For the first time, he then turned and looked at Ray, Chris and Shaz in turn. The policeman then reverted to his usual party trick: he pointed to Hunt's office and then disappeared, also returning the room lighting to normal. 

She had gotten nowhere in trying to understand why this man was pointing at the Gov's door. She had believed for so long that Gene had something to do with Sam Tyler's death and it had taken twice as much to convince herself otherwise, and now another dead policeman with connections to Hunt. Could Gene Hunt be a killer? Her rose-tinted glasses were working hard to shield her from her own suspicions but, if she wanted to get home, Alex would have to break through the haze and find out the truth. The fact that she now had realised that she had fallen for him made it all the more difficult to find him guilty. 

And, PC 6620 had thrown up all kinds of questions by bringing Ray, Chris and Shaz into the equation. Did they know about Gene's part in Sam's death? Did they themselves have a role to play? She knew that Ray worshipped the ground Hunt walked on and lived for his appraisal. It was entirely possible that Ray had covered it up for the DCI to show his loyalty. On the other hand, Ray would have been crushed to realise what his idol was capable of doing. Maybe the reality of his crime had caused him to live in fearful worship of a flawed God… Chris would never stand up to Gene to bring his crime to light, if he knew anything at all. Maybe Chris couldn't stand up to him because he knew what he was capable of and didn't want to end up like Sam… And Alex doubted that Shaz would be allowed to know anything important like that…

She had never felt so lost and confused. She loved Gene Hunt and could not bear to lose him, so much so that she was willing to ignore the indications that he had killed in cold blood. This also contradicted her aching desire to get back home. The simultaneous wish to stay and leave was tearing her apart. Alex had literally gambled with her life to live in a world conjured by her sub-conscience and love a figment of her imagination. She was meant to examine these sorts of people, not turn into one. And the fact that she created a man like Gene Hunt to fall in love with scared her to her very core and proved she needed serious help.


	3. Tough Break

Her thoughts were interrupted by the unmistakable sound of snakeskin boot on lino corridor. He burst through the double doors and paused to see the reaction to his dramatic entrance. He looked immediately to DI Drake's desk to see her buried in more paperwork, seemingly undisturbed by his entrance. She knew how to annoy him. Gene strode straight into his office and slammed the door, making the whole department jump. Before he closed the shutter on his door to enclose his office in darkness, Gene waited for Alex to look up at him. He stared at her for a couple of minutes before her gaze met his and he tried to read her expression: a mix of frustration and embarrassment. Alex, after what seemed like an eternity cut short, returned to her report. Gene closed the blinds and poured himself a drink, knowing it would not be long before Alex would knock on his door to nag him about some missing witness statement or a mysteriously bruised suspect. 

Gene would never admit to himself, never mind anyone else, that he loved the banter with Alex. The more his attitude annoyed her, the more he would act up, like a tantrum-throwing toddler and the more stubborn they both would become. They were similar in their aspirations to make a difference in the police force, even if their ideal methods were polar opposites. That in itself was not surprising; they were from different times and different worlds. The surprising thing was how well they worked together. Gene supposed that it was because together they were balanced. Where he would fail, she would triumph. She was his better half, another thing he would never admit to.

Mid-appreciation, the subject of his thoughts knocked on his office door. He knew he didn't need to answer; she simply walked in when no answer was given which was another device used to aggravate her. It took indescribable amounts of self-control to stop himself from staring: she really was stunning.

Outside of the office, Ray tried to initiate gossiping with Chris. "This always happens though," he mused. "He draws the blinds after giving her the eye, and a few minutes later him and her are in there together doing God knows what."

"Come on, Ray," replied Chris. "It's just case stuff." 

"Say what you like, but I'll bet you any money somethin' funny's going on" 

They heard the door unlock, somehow strengthening Ray's theory that they were doing something. They walked straight over to the whiteboard where the Barris case was displayed. Alex picked up a pen and wrote 'deceased' next to Barris' right-hand woman, her hand shaking. 

"I've just received a phone call telling me that Miss Latford was found dead this morning in 'er flat." Gene paused and looked at Alex with an accusing look. He turned back to address the office. "She was our only route to Barris, Bolly. I wasn't able to gain any information from her the last time I saw her, so we are back to square one, my friends." He gave another scowl in Alex's direction. 

Alex took over. "Chris, I need you to look over all of the witness statements again to see if we missed anything. Ray, go and see if the CCTV has arrived yet and look over it if it has. Shaz and I will go over Miss Latford's last movements. And, Gov, can I have a word?"


	4. White Lie

"Of course, Drakey, the pleasure'll be all yours." He gestured towards his office and Gene opened the door and closed it behind them, shutting the blinds once again.

"What can the Gene Genie do for Drakey today?" He sat down at his desk and reached for his glass for a swig. Alex sat on the edge of the desk which signalled to Gene she needed to talk to him properly. Gene loved the way she sat on his desk, feet away from him yet distant and disjointed in this alien reality. 

"I just want to say, Gov, that I'm sorry about Sally Latford. If I hadn't have acted like… that, then we could have had the information we needed to put Barris away." She broke eye contact and looked away to add, "I feel so guilty. I've compromised this investigation just being petty with you." 

Alex looked at Gene, searching for forgiveness and reassurance. He made her feel safe somehow. Alex hated how she needed his approval and support. "I'm gonna level with you, Bolly. You spooked 'er and made 'er doubt our confidentiality, that's true. But, I know she had no other information that night. I have reason to believe that 'er and Barris were more than business partners. We probably wouldn't 'ave got any more out of 'er." 

Gene could see the weight lifting off of her shoulders, concluding that this white lie was the best move. In fact, Sally Latford had pulled this investigation together and given it shape. She had divulged that officially she was in a relationship with Barris but that she was committed to bringing him down. Gene guessed that Andy Barris had found her out and had her killed. Gene continued, "She did tell me a while ago to watch the depot today though. There's a delivery coming in from a Mr Hartley." 

"As in….?" 

"The very same Mr Hartley questioned last week in connection with the drug raid down Ludley Street." 

Alex beamed at him unashamedly. "You're bloody brilliant, you know that?" 

"Of course I do, have you met me?" He got up and Alex followed him out the office.

Gene recounted the information to the rest of the team and it seemed to boost their morale once again. "Come on, Bolly. We'll get down to the depot for a spot of surveillance." 

Alex grabbed a camera and a radio. She soon realised her mistake and replaced the radio: the Gov didn't need backup - ever, apparently. She ran to catch up to Hunt and headed to the front entrance. He told her to wait outside while he retrieved the Quattro so she did as she was told. It wasn't long before the Quattro screeched around the bend and squealed to a halt. He wound down the window and beckoned her to the car.

"I'm looking for a good time. How much do you charge?" 

"You, could never afford me," Alex replied with a smirk. She got into the front of the Quattro and braced herself. She reached for her seatbelt which drew tutting out of Hunt in disapproval. She reluctantly let go and dug her fingernails into her seat instead as he sped off in the direction of the depot. 

About four streets away, he slowed the car to the appropriate speed and parked out of the business' CCTV range. "We could have parked closer in the other car," Alex crowed. 

"Shut up, Bolls, and bring my supplies." By supplies, he meant whiskey flask and cigars, which she reluctantly grabbed for him along with the camera and her notebook. The plan was to circle the area on foot for a few hours. It was a stupid idea if you asked Alex, but Hunt had added that Ray and Chris would come down to do a stint of surveillance in a few hours time, just so they didn't look suspicious walking around in circles ALL day. "I used to think surveillance was… well, puffy." Gene began. "Sam Tyler said it was the future of modern policing. He bloody proved me wrong, the bastard." 

"Gov…" 

"Bolly, before you start, we talk about Sam on my terms. We've discussed this. If you continue down this road Alex you'll get a good spanking. Capiche?" He gave a manly sniff to show how impressed he was with himself, while Alex gave him a disgusted look and looked towards the depot in defeat.

Ray and Chris arrived about two hours later to take over, so Gene and Alex headed back to the Quattro after Hunt explained to them that their bollocks would dirty dance with a vice if they cocked things up this time. Chris looked genuinely terrified at the thought; the Gov made him more likely to cock things up by scaring him half to death. Ray would never intentionally let the Gov down. He worshipped the ground Gene walked on and would do anything to impress him which, inadvertently meant that he took stupid risks to do so, increasing the risk of a cock up. Alex never tired of analysing the team dynamics, which in itself was complicated given her situation as it inevitably led her back to asking why they even existed. 


	5. Fate

Alex was grateful when they arrived back at Fenchurch East police station in one piece. As they pulled up to the entrance, Alex reached out and touched Gene's arm to stop him jumping out of the Quattro. He turned to her expectantly, ready for her to make him feel all sentimental and uncomfortable. 

"Gov," she began and squeezed his hand. Alex was sure it was fear in his eyes. "I'm sorry about pushing this Sam Tyler thing lately. I won't bring it up again." 

"Brownie promise?" 

"Of course," Alex smiled. "Brownie promise." She opened the door and swung her legs out of the car, regretting her choice of words as she knew she would have to talk to him about Sam at some point in the near future. Gene followed suit and watched her strut into the building like a woman on a mission. He had never felt this way before; what he thought was pity had gradually shown itself as love, pure and simple. Well, it wasn't that simple and 'pure' was pretty questionable. Gene had felt alone for so long, he had accepted the lone wolf front he portrayed to his surroundings and it had worked its way to his very core, becoming the essence of his being: he couldn't remember what it felt like to need someone. Mrs Hunt had been gone for a long time now, but after a while in marriage, you stay for convenience and security rather than lust or even love. But Gene never needed the security. He needed love, as corny as it sounds, complimented by excitement and intimacy. He had missed that now for so long and didn't realise that he had been looking for it until he found Alex.

Gene knew that he had met his match in Alex. Someone to cut through all of his bullshit and bravado and see the real him by breaking down barriers that he had erected some time ago. Yet he knew that it would be impossible to reveal his true self to her completely, which broke his tired heart. In his heart he knew that he himself could not remember enough to tell her the entire truth. If Gene could keep Alex like this for long enough, she would stop thinking about going home, and stop remembering the turmoil she had left behind. The face of her daughter would become a blur, then a silhouette, then nothing. She would become like him and she would stay with him and he could be happy again. He hated himself: how could you wish that on someone you were supposed to love? Because he simply had to have her and, in love, you do anything to preserve a relationship you believe in. They had been on so-called dates before, but there had always been some excuse. At first, it had just been lusty filth on Hunt's part and he was frustrated that he couldn't get the bit of skirt he was after. As time went by, he fell for her completely but at all opportunities, they were both too drunk to make any sort of secret liaison 'morally right', even to Gene. Anyway, in his experience, Gene Hunt was a great believer in fate bringing people together if it's meant to be. He just wished that fate would bloody hurry up. 

Before he knew it, Gene had made his way back to the office. He was autopilot by this time in any day, and he couldn't wait to get to Luigi's. Alex and Shaz were busy poring over Miss Latford's timeline, trying to find any detail to propel the case forward. Gene actually admired how quickly Alex had improved the team's morale, efficiency and teamwork skills. He would never tell her that though.


	6. The Bigger Picture

_**Getting my first subscriber to this story willed me to upload another chapter today. It's only a filler, really, to lead me into the events into the next chapter. Reviews would be greatly appreciated and thanks for sticking with it!**_

Gene passed their desks with not so much as a glance and went straight into his office, closing the door and shutting the blinds. He hung up his coat and retrieved the bottle of scotch from the top drawer of his trusty filing cabinet. As he poured the liquid into a small tumbler, his thoughts wandered back to Sam and his connection to Alex. How did she know him? And why was she so interested in his death? Gene understood that Alex had gotten here in the same state as Sam but could not see any other connection. He was disappointed that she could promise not to talk about him anymore as Gene knew that she would keep digging until she found what she needed... whatever that was. He just hoped that, if she found out the truth, Alex wouldn't turn her back on him or, worse still, unravel her entire surroundings. Gene knew that what she found would contradict his version of events and he just had to trust that she would be able to understand and except what he had done. He knew that the time would come if Alex stayed here too long and, seeing that he found the idea of her absence soul-destroying, it was inevitable that he would eventually tell her the truth about Sam Tyler. However, it was still unclear to him how much he would be willing to reveal to her in fear of destroying any chance of being with her.

Gene downed the scotch and poured another glass. As he was considering asking Alex on a date after this case was closed, the woman herself knocked and let herself in. He noticed that she had taken to simply ignore his habit of drinking on duty, but Gene also realised the expression on her face did not cover her feelings of concerns. He was immediately overcome with guilt.

"Gov, I was just thinking," Alex said as she made her way to his desk, "maybe we should pay another visit to Latford's place of work? They might be able to tell us if she had any unexpected visitors over the past few weeks." She paused and waited for his approval. "Well?" 

"Yeah, why not," Gene replied rather unenthusiastically. "I'll grab me coat."

Alex was frustrated by his lack of energy in this case lately. He seemed distracted, but she knew that now wasn't the best time to push him on it. They left his office and Alex informed Shaz where they were going and told her where they were going. She replied with a quiet, "Yes, Ma'am," which somehow saddened Alex. She knew how frustrated Shaz was being stationed in CID because everyone knew that they were above her, rank-wise. As a result, Shaz was given tedious work that no-one else wanted to do, even if it wasn't Shaz' place to do it. On the other hand, Shaz rarely complained because deep down, she longed to be in CID and didn't want to blow her chances. Alex knew however that, if Shaz continued to be the doormat, she would never be given much more responsibility within in the team because she's no problem in her current role. At least she knew she had a friend and role model in Alex.

When Gene and Alex returned, so had Ray and Chris so Alex went over to quiz them about what they had seen at the depot. Gene had been right: there was a delivery not long after they had left. Chris said that they didn't see what was in the van, but the person driving the truck was a well-known associate of Barris'. They had managed to follow the van back to a flat a few miles away: proof that the delivery wasn't from another legitimate company.

"Shaz, can you run a check on this address and see if it's in the system?" Shaz gave a curt nod and left the office to run the checks. Alex made a mental note to buy her drink tonight as a 'thank you' for her work on this case. She turned and thanked Ray and Chris, then headed back to her desk.

For the first time in memory, Alex was at a loss as she was up-to-date with all of her work. She had finished wrestling with red tape and not much could be done on the Barris case until Shaz brought back some good news regarding the mystery address. Alex looked at the office clock and, as it was nearing 4:30pm, she relaxed a little as the Gov would soon call it a day and let the team go. Despite this, there was still a part of her that wished they had finished this case already. She had accepted that this case in particular had not brought her any closer to going home, and it had been a major distraction from getting any more information about Sam Tyler.

Alex enjoyed her work, but it was always overshadowed by the 'bigger picture'. The only positive she could squeeze out of cases like this was that she was slowly moving closer to Gene. The thought made her smile and blush a little and decided that, tonight, she was going to enjoy herself and not worry about the big picture. She was going to worry about what she was going to wear, and what she was going to drink, and whether Gene Hunt thought of her the way she did of him.


	7. Eric The Accountant

Shaz returned very quickly with bad news. "There's a problem with the system. We can't do anything until tomorrow."

"Right!" shouted Gene excitedly from the opposite side of the office. "Luigi's it is then!" The team yelled "Yes, Gov," back at him and they began to collect their belongings. "And Bolly?" She turned to face him. "Wear something slutty."

Alex tutted and ignored jeers from the CID team, secretly coping with butterflies in her stomach. 'This is ridiculous, Alex, pull yourself together,' she thought, desperately trying to ward off blushing. She was unsuccessful and managed to leave the office before anyone noticed.

Gene was already half way through his first bottle of house rubbish when Alex arrived. She was wearing a pair of her now trademark tight jeans with the red stitching down the legs and a red, off-the shoulder top which gathered tightly at the waist. Over the top, she wore an oversized suit jacket, which Gene noticed suspiciously like one of his own and she had pointed red heels to match. 'Not slutty,' Gene thought, 'But it'll do.' Her glance lingered on Gene for slightly too long before she approached the bar and took rest on a stool.

"Ah! Signora Drake, a pleasure to see you!" Luigi bustled over from a table he was waiting on. "A red wine for the lady?"

"Thanks, Luigi," Alex replied politely.

Alex waited patiently for her drink. She could feel Gene's eyes burning through the back of her head. As coolly as possible, she slowly turned back to look at him. A split second after making eye contact, Gene looked away in embarrassment and pretended to admire the artwork on the wall beside him.

Just as Alex turned back to the bar, the figure which had just entered the bar caught her attention. It enormous amounts of self-control not to stare, but she was exceedingly pleased when he sat a few feet away from her. Alex guessed that he was not much younger than herself, dressed in a suit not unlike Hunt's.

"I'll have a scotch on the rocks when you're ready," then man said with conviction. Alex knew what Hunt would think of him: 'On the rocks? Poof... An' he speaks like he's got a bag o' marbles in 'is mouth. Just like you, Bolly.'

"Hard day?" Alex piped up.

"Something like that, yes," he gave her a sparkling smile to match his emerald eyes to which Alex responded with the most obvious blush and schoolgirl giggle. She looked past the mysterious man to where Gene was sat, where he was stewing in jealousy. Alex was very pleased at the thought of that. "As stressful as being an accountant is."

"An accountant? Complicated stuff which I could never do," Alex began to flirt shamelessly. The more the spoke, the more dutch courage she needed to continue. Eventually, Eric – the mystery man – began to feel very uncomfortable being around this crazy drunk woman. Alex was beautiful, but she couldn't half talk. Eric realised in the middle of her fourth anecdote involving DCI Hunt that she loved that man. He also concluded that he was the man he saw on his way in, now sat behind them, whom Alex kept glancing over to. Eric decided to leave her with a kiss to help her on her mission in making this man jealous: he felt sorry for her.

"I hate to disappoint, Alex, but I must catch up on my sleep. I'll have to love you and leave you, I'm afraid."

"So soon?" Alex slurred, finally realising how drunk she actually was. She had found out he was only here for a business trip so she would probably never run into him again. Probably best.

"Lovely to meet you, Alex," he added as he stood up. Alex jumped up beside him, being careful not to lose her balance. He leaned in and whispered, "I won't begrudge you a goodnight kiss." He looked into her glazed eyes, and placed his lips on hers. To his terror, she misinterpreted the peck as an invitation to a passionate embrace. 'Why the hell not?' he concluded, and gave in.

They eventually pulled away and said their awkward goodbyes. She grabbed her newly refilled glass from the bar and found Gene's table where he was sat, alone. "He was a nice man. Accountant, from London, on a business tri.."

"Let me stop you right there, Bollinger-knickers," Gene intervened. "I told you to dress like a tart, not act like one."

"_He_ kissed _me_, Gov," Alex countered.

"Looked like more of a surprise attack from you if I'm totally honest. Poor man looked mortified."

Alex sat back in her chair with a small pout, speechless and quite offended. After a short while, Alex came back into her stride. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained. You know your problem, Gene? You're afraid to _feel_. You're afraid of _rejection_. And, you're afraid of judgement from others."

"You're right."

"...What?"

"You're right, Bolly. I'm afraid. I'm _scared._" Alex was shocked. Was this the same man? His voice began to get louder and the whole bar could now hear. "Teach me, Bolly the bleedin' oracle! Help me _feel_, Alex. Help me become a better man!" He stood up as Alex covered her face with her hand. "Oh, Alex, I wish I could be like you, putting myself on a plate for every Tom, Dick an' 'Arry and not fearing rejection. Everyone here thinks you're a jumped up, drunk, little tart but not me! I agree with you Alex, you really are the bloody dog's bollocks!"

Alex rose from the chair with such force that it overturned. The bar fell silent and she walked around the table and stopped inches from his face. "Well, Bolls, are you gonna kiss me or punch me?" Their breathing was heavy: there fights were always exhausting.

Alex allowed herself a short chuckle and said, "I'm going to call your bluff. See if you can feel this." She lifted her hand as if to slap him and Gene flinched. Alex's hand came to rest on his neck. She pulled him in, and kissed him even more passionately than she had with Eric – with anyone. She stopped and smiled at the look of utter shock on Gene's face. Without another word, she walked out of the bar.


	8. Raymondo Would 'Ave A Fit

_**This is a very long chapter compared with the rest, but I think it should be okay. Get ready for a MASSIVE dose of Galex ;) Please continue to read and review and thanks for all of the encouragement so far.**_

Gene was frozen to the spot for some time before he ran after her. It was like tunnel vision: Luigi's and everyone in the bar became a bar, the path to Alex the only thing in focus. He grabbed his coat, downed his drink and ran out the bar, calling after Alex. To his amusement, she hadn't gotten very far, only the end of the street to be exact. She was leaning against some railings of one of the flats, looking more than a bit queasy.

"What the HELL are you playing at, Bolly?" By the time Gene had got there, she had slumped to the floor. "You do realise you live above Luigi's? Where were you going?"

"You know what, Gene? I haven't got a bloody clue." She grabbed his outstretched hand and pulled herself up. Alex lifted one arm around his neck, and he guided her back to her flat in near silence. Gene scrambled in her bag to find her keys and let her in. Alex was inside the flat and Gene was leaning on the door frame. "Why don't you come in?" she asked teasingly.

'God, this is killing me,' Gene groaned in his head. 'Not when she's like this.' "Not tonight, Bolls. Early start an' all that."

"Oh, come off it Gene," Alex slurred. Gene could hardly understand a word she was saying. "Let's just say one drink, and see where it goes."

"Goodnight, Bolly. See you an' your hangover tomorrow." He doubted that she would remember any of this tomorrow, but was sure that the team would remind her of her antics in Luigi's as soon as they got a chance.

Alex awoke to a loud knocking on her door. As her vision cleared, she realised she had slept in her clothes on the couch and the blinding headache which then set in told her why. "Alright, I'm coming!" she yelled as the knocking continued. Alex opened the door to a very smug Gene Hunt.

"Mornin'," he barked, making her ears sting. "How much can you remember, Bolly, of your misdemeanours last night?"

"Misdemeanours? Jesus, none of it." Exactly what Gene wanted to hear.

"Well, it will 'ave skipped your attention that we 'ave unfinished business." Gene winked at Alex and began moving towards her.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Gov."

"Oh, don't play dumb, Bolls, it doesn't suit yer. You kissed me last night Alex, and invited me in for a night cap. I hope the invitation still stands."

Alex's jaw had literally dropped open. She suddenly remembered the kiss with startling precision, but couldn't recall inviting him in at all. As Gene moved ever closer, Alex backed away even further, eventually her back hitting the wall of her living room. For a long time, Alex wanted Gene to make a proper move on her, but now she was terrified. It was really happening, and Alex had no idea if she could cope with juggling Gene and her attempts to get home. If they got together, how could she then leave him?

Gene leant over, his right hand steadying himself on the wall. "Gene, are you sure you want this?" It was then Gene's jaw's turn to drop. Their lips were inches apart, both pairs trembling under their owners' hesitation.

"The question I want answered is, do you?"

"You know the answer."

"I wanna hear you say it, Bolly. Tell me."

"Yes, Gene. Yes, I do."

Their breaths became shallower and Alex lifted her head off the wall, slowly moving in for the kiss they had both wanted for so long.

To Alex's confusion and embarrassment, Gene hastily retreated. Was he really not expecting that answer? All of the signs and signals Alex had given him, and he didn't know she felt? Alex was infuriated and, to be honest, disappointed.

"Jesus, Bolly, but... I was joking... I was calling your bluff, as you put it so eloquently last night."

Alex put her head in her hands as she tried to make sense of what had just happened. "So this, was just you trying to get your own back? And you didn't even know that I would react like that?" Alex knew better than to retreat and maintain that she was just playing along: he wouldn't believe her. In her heart, Alex felt disappointment more than anything. She had been sure that Gene had felt the same way. So much for being a psychologist...

"I, am so, embarrassed. I'm sorry, Gene, I really thought that you..." Alex looked away and let out a half-laugh. She gained eye-contact again, and finished her sentence, "that you felt the same. All of the off-hand comments, our dinners, our drinks together, the way... the way you look at me, Gene. It's like..." Alex paused as she looked at the small clock on the cabinet. "Why the HELL did you come round here at this time? It's half 6 in the bloody morning!"

"Nice touch to aggravate your hangover, I suppose."

Alex sighed and decided not to press the issue of timing any further. But, Gene knew the real reason he had come here so early: he couldn't sleep thinking about Alex after that kiss. And, as he was here early, he could spend longer in her flat before work, to do... anything. It was all Gene could do to hide the sadness in his eyes. He wanted to tell her that he couldn't sleep for thinking about her. He wanted nothing more than to stride across to her right now and sweep her off her feet.

No, he couldn't. It was against the rules. Gene was there to help those brought to him move on, not to give them a reason to stay. But how could he ignore his own feelings when they were so strong? Gene's head was swimming with thoughts of Alex, the Barris case and the rest of his team. He knew that he couldn't let his feelings lead his actions, however unfair that was. Gene was a practised liar, but lying about this to Alex didn't sit well with him at all. Until the details of Alex's stay here were clearer, he supposed he would have to push his emotions to the back of his mind once again.

"Maybe it's best this way, Bolls. Raymondo would 'ave a fit."

"I suppose you're right." Alex smiled but it wasn't enough to shield her real sense of loss from Gene. "Let's just... forget about it."

"Well, I don't know 'bout that." Alex knew exactly what Gene meant. He wasn't going to forget how Alex felt, and he didn't want to. It would deflate his ego too much for his liking. "I'll leave you t' recover. See you in a few hours then, Bolly." With that, Gene turned and left the flat without looking back, a massive grin on his face. The ol' Manc. Lion was still a hit with the ladies.


	9. A Missed Connection

The more she thought about it, the more convinced Alex became of Gene being attracted to her. The lust in his eyes developing while he backed her into the wall was real and he had enjoyed making her tell him that she wanted him, not only for control and humiliation of Alex but because in his very soul, Alex gave the response he wanted. He just hadn't expected it. Alex was hurt by his actions, so much so that she hurt physically. Alex maintained for so long that she could never let Gene know how she felt as she knew they couldn't be together. Gene had broken through and Alex had given in, only to have it all ripped away from her as quickly as the situation had presented itself. A part of Alex hated him for doing it. A part of Alex was still hoping for a connection.

Gene still couldn't understand what had happened. He had genuinely believed that Alex's stunt in Luigi's was part of their power struggle and partly due to the immense alcohol intake. Going back to taunt her in her flat was a way for Gene to play out his twisted fantasy of him. Gene never expected her to react the way she did, as he had always believed that chasing Alex was punching above his weight. Gene felt he had cheated himself by making a move he's always wanted to and then pulling out. But, most of all, he felt cruel. If he had any inkling that Alex felt that way, Gene wouldn't have put himself on a plate only to wrench her desires away. In hindsight, Gene realised the stupidity of the plan as, either way, he had punished himself.

That night, like the old movies, Gene and Alex sat at their respective windows, in their respective flats, drink in hand, and cried. Gene had never felt like more of a poof in his life, even if it was over a woman. In a sense, they had both let their guards down, and revealed a secret side of themselves to the other. Gene had just shook Alex's world again, and not in the way she would have liked. He made her question everything around her once more, including himself. Alex did the same to Gene, to be fair.

Life in CID carried on pretty much the same after that. The Barris case was solved, making DCI Hunt the hero of the day: the delivery was from the address of an infamous drug-dealer. But from that night on, Gene and Alex felt different inside. They way they looked at each other changed; they way the acted around each other in general. Neither of them could put their finger on it, but something else had changed. The feelings they were experiencing, unknown to them, was due to the connection they had unwittingly formed only that night. It was the feeling that can only spawn from a missed connection.

_**And I'm afraid that's all folks! I do apologize for the rather abrupt ending, but I didn't want this to drag on. I didn't intend this story to end happily ever after (sorry!) and so I felt it best to end here. That way, it's not a happy ending, but it's not tragic. Please review and let me know what you think :)**_


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